Torpedo depth gear



Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

arras WILLIAM DIETER, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 VITTLEADEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

TORPEDO 'DEPTH GEAR.

Application led December 31, 1921.

To al?. whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, WILLIAM DIETER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in TorpedoDepth Gears, of which the f0llowing is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the movements of thependulum forming an element of the depth or immersion mechanism of anautomobile torpedo.

As is well understood. the depth mechanism of a torpedo is controlledboth by a hydrostat and a pendulum; the function of the hydrostat beingto determine the set depth which the torpedo shall tend to follow, andthe function of the pendulum being to keep the torpedo level and checkany attempt to rise or dive. Both of these elements are connected to thevalve of the depth engine, so that the latter, and the rudders which itoperates, respond to a movement of either the hydrostat diaphragm or thependulum, or to a resultant of their combined movements when both move.The result is that in actual practice the torpedo, after reaching itsprescribed depth (as determined by the adjustment of the hydrostat)tends to travel at that depth. following n. sinuous course in asuccession of vertical undulations. But in launching, and again whenslowing down at the end of the run, the rapid acceleration orretardation ofthe torpedo causes the pendulum to swing violentlybackward or forward (relatively) which movements are followed byforcible return or reactive movements, and these abnormal movements ofthe pendulum cause extreme up or down depth rudder movements which inturn cause the torpedo to suddenly dive or rise, often with seriousresults. rlhe aim of the present invention is to prevent or greatlyreduce these disadvantageous perturbations and cause the pendulum toquickly recover from an)T serious shock and settle down to normalaction.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of theinvention. y Figure 1 is a side elevation of a torpedo, its hull beingpartly broken away to show the depth mechanism in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the lower portion of thependulum on a larger scale, the plane of the section be- Seral No.526,332.

ing in the longitudinal mid-plane of the torpedo.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section corre-l spending to Fig. 2 and showing afurther development of the invention.

The general construction shown as the basis for the application of thepresent invention is substantially Similar to that illustrated in thepatent to Leavitt, No. 1,080,116, dated December 2, 1913. Or theconstruction shown in my Patent No. 1,190,871, July 11, 1916, may beused.

A is the torpedo hull, B the hydrostat, C the pendulum, D thedepthengine, and E the gyroscope casing.- )f the hjnlrostat,

Aonly the exterior is shown, namely, the base a and spring casing o,between which parts the internal diaphragm is commonly secured. F romthe diaphragm the movement is communicated through a lever which may bein the form of an elbow level.` c (sec said. Patent No. 1,080,116), onearm c of which is shown .in full lines. The penduliun is connected by arod d to one arm of a floating l'eVer f the 'fulcrum of which is carriedon the lever arm o', and the opposite arm of which engages a valve rod gof the depth engine D.A The pendulum is mounted to swing in thelongitudinal plane, and is provided with light springs it' 71. which actto press it toward. its mid-position, and with spring buffers 71 i,which, as the pei'ldnlum swings, strike opposite sto-ps j y" to cushionund limit the movement of the pendulum. All of the parts thus fardescribed are common inthe existing Bliss-Leavitt torpedo,

The present invention introduces an additional cushioning means forchecking the swinging; movements of the pendulum, and which act inadvance of the buters 7l The added means consist essentially of spi-ingsor spring-pressed parts acting to limit the swing of the pendulum, andcoming into action in advance of the buffers, and acting with lessresistance than is afforded by the buffers. It results that in additionto gravity the pendulum is acted upon by three forces, namely, that ofthe light springs 7i. 7L which constantly tend to bring the pendulum tomid-position; that of the cushioning means 105 provided by the presentinvention, which act only upon the swing of the pendulum in eitherdirection, and come into action to check that swing in advance of theaction of the buffers; and, finally, as the swing 11o with the abutmenty', a diminished cushioning effect is accomplished, followed, as thependulum swings farther, by the abutting of the pin F1 against theabutment, and the added resistance of the spring G1 to the continuedswing of the pendulum. The proportions may be such that the free swingof the pendulum before the pins F2 touch the abut ments is the same asin Fig. 2; or the pins F2 may be caused to project farther, so as tolimit the free swing of the pendulum within a smaller angle and therebycause the pins F2 and spring G2 to act sooner than with the proportionsgiven in Fig. 2. The proportions may be such that the effect of theminor cushioning means will be to tend to diminish the sinuosities inthe path normally traversed by the torpedo when running at its setdepth; that is to say, to diminish the vertical undulations of suchsinuous course.

It will be understood that while the concentric arrangement of pins andbuffers, and of the minor and major springs shown in the examples hereinillustrated, is deemed preferable for convenience in construction, andfor compactness, yet this arrangement may be departed from, it beingwithin the invention to apply cushioning springs according to anyarrangement and construction which will accomplish the operations hereinset forth.

What I claim is l. In a torpedo, in combination with its pendulum andstops, of spring cushioning means of graduated stress mounted to comeinto action at successive points in the swing of the pendulum, to affordresistance to the swing of the pendulum varying with the amplitude ofsuch swing.

2. In a torpedo, in combination with its pendulum and stops, and withthe normal spring buffers for checking its eXtreme swing, of cushioningmeans effective on a swing of less amplitude, and opposing a smallerstress to the swing of the pendulum.

3. In a torpedo, in combination with its pendulum and stops, of a heavybuffer and lighter cushioning spring, the former effective toward theend of the swing, and the latter upon a smaller swing, of the pendulum.

4. In a torpedo, in combination with its pendulum and stops, of buffersprojecting beyond the pendulum to abut the stops in advance of theextreme movement of the pendulum, and cushioning pins projecting furtherto abut the stops 1n advance of the abutment of the buffers, with arelatively sti spring for the buffers and a lighter spring for thecushioning pins.

5. In a torpedo, in combination with its pendulum and stops, of tubularbuffers projecting beyond the pendulum, and cushion ing pins projectingthrough and beyond the buffers, a heavy outer spring for the buffers,and a lighter inner spring for the cushion-- `ing pins.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM DIETER.

